Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Title: Sow and Reap
Author: Serena J
Rating: R for use of the f-word and some sexual content
Genre(s): Romance, Angst
Pairing(s): Primary Seto/Joey/Atemu
Spoilers: none
Beta: Mishiko
Disclaimer: Just the words, not the folks.
Summary: When Seto takes an impromptu vacation, he turns everyone's life
upside down.

   Chapter 4: A Loss, A Gain.



   Chapter 4

   I took the Head Master's advice and chose his suggestions for my
electives - Sociology, Creative Writing and Art.  I joined the Chess club
rather than any of the dueling groups, although I scheduled time to meet
with them and offered my advice on building their decks and the like.

   The Cheering Squad was harder than I expected, but turned out to be
worth the effort after the first soccer game.  The physical requirements
were more or less within my capabilities, although not activities I was
used to and I came home from practice tired and sore.  The cheers
themselves were ridiculous, but easy to remember.  And I discovered how
many boys at school were interested in other boys.  The payoff happened
shortly after the first game ended.  We'd lost to another team, but despite
that, the custom was to greet each player with a 'good game' as he left the
field.

   Bakura told me later that he had notified a local network that I was
attending my first intramural event and that they might want a chance to
see the 'great' Kaiba Seto at school before anyone else did.  What they got
was me, smiling, cheering and supporting my schoolmates on video.  That in
turn made the national news.  Bakura got a bonus from KaibaCorp and a raise
from KaibaGames.

   I saw Joey and Honda almost every day.  We had classes together.  We did
not speak.

   Mazaki was her ever-efficient self throughout.  She kept me on time and
prepared whether I was going to school, attending a board meeting or
dueling.  I didn't do much dueling, but she made sure my schedule allowed
it here and there.

   In my Art class, however, one of Bakura's talents came forth.  While I
concentrated on Drawing - hoping to improve my engineering drafts - he set
up an easel in the back of the classroom and painted a series of student
portraits.  They became quite popular and my classmates became friendlier
to me, hoping to be selected by him.

   Bakura excelled in a number of surprising areas, among them being a
talented singer and musician.  Many evenings while I was doing homework, he
sang or played the koto in the background.

   There were days that I had emergencies - meetings that could not be
avoided, documents that needed my personal attention.  On those occasions,
I left class and Bakura remained to tape my classes for me.

   Mazaki and I were returning from a last minute meeting - a happy event,
we had purchased the Korean factory that previously produced MGCo's product
line exclusively - when I called Bakura for a status update.

   "Nothing interesting over all.  You've been assigned to a group project
for Sociology, the subject is to compare and contrast two cultural groups.
Apparently the groups were assigned last semester for another project so
you've been added to a group that's worked together before."

   "Fine.  Arrange for them to come to the condo tonight so I can meet them
all and we can schedule whatever we need to do.  Contact facilities and
have them convert one of the spare rooms to an intranet workroom for the
group."

   "On it." He hung up.

   "Group project?" Mazaki asked casually.

   "Be sure you work them into the schedule.  I don't want to miss the
presentation like last time." We'd had a scheduling conflict with Noah and
I'd missed part of what turned out to be a very dull sales pitch.  She
glared at me but I grinned back.  "It's not polite to call your boss rude
names."

   "I didn't say a word." She went back to her paperwork while biting back
a grin of her own.  "And you can't fire me for thinking."

   We got back to the condo in time for dinner.  The group was already
there.  I could hear one of my classmates chatting away about the size of
the place.  As far as I could tell from the hall, though, he was talking to
himself.

   Bakura, Mazaki and I slipped down to my room for a quick conference. 
"Are the others here yet?" I asked.

   Bakura nodded.  "But, I don't know.  Mutou-san's being kind of odd and
the other two have seemed irritated since the instructor assigned you to
the group."

   "They'll get over it." Thus far I had been very successful at being
charming when I wanted to be.  "Can you two compare notes without me?  I
shouldn't keep them waiting forever." They nodded and I sped to the dining
room.

   Honda was picking at a full plate of food.  Joey was staring out the
window.  Mutou was desperately trying to engage either of them.  He saw me
walk in but failed to read my expression properly.  "Kaiba-san!  This is an
amazing apartment!  Do you live here by yourself?  It's really impressive!
Don't you think so, Honda?"

   "You did say you had resources." Honda observed dryly.

   "Excuse me, Kaiba, but -" Mazaki walked in and stopped cold at the door.
"- uh, I, oh God!" She literally fled from the room.  Honda stood up, moved
to go after her and then abruptly sat down.  He then took a large bite of
food from his plate and chewed it slowly.

   A moment later Bakura entered.  "Was that Mazaki I heard leave?"

   "Yes." I said simply.  My eyes hadn't left Joey since they landed on
him.

   "Does anyone want to tell me what's going on here?"

   "You got me!" Mutou agreed.  "I've never seen these guys like this.  I
mean even when Honda broke up with that girl a few weeks ago, he wasn't
like this."

   "Maybe this is a bad night." Bakura suggested.  "We could do this
another time if that's better." Joey scoffed but didn't say anything and
Bakura is not slow.  "I see.  Maybe I should set Mutou-san up on the
intranet.  Honda-san, I suspect that if you exit our front door,
Mazaki-chan will be in the unit to your left.  The door is usually
unlocked." He took Mutou and left.

   Honda sat for another minute or two and then left as well.

   Joey didn't move for a long time.

   "Joey, let me -"

   "We knew something was up.  I mean, pretty much from the start.  We
thought you were on the run from the police."

   "My Father." I admitted.

   He nodded.  "Yeah.  Something.  I woke up when that piece of shit of
yours started.  Got to the window just in time to watch you pull off. 
Figured," he shrugged, "he'll be back.  For breakfast.  For dinner. 
Tomorrow.  Next week."

   "Joey, I'm sorry."

   "You didn't make me wait long." He nodded sadly.  "You did come back. 
You weren't lying when you said you were special."

   "Please, just let me explain...."

   "Hey, you don't need to explain shit, dude.  We fucked.  That's all."

   "No, that's not all.  That's -"

   "Stop!" He looked at me suddenly.  "That's.  All.  What, you think I'm
stupid?  Are you?  Where does this go, some kind of relationship?  I know
who your father is; what's he gonna say when you bring me over for dinner.
'Oh, here's just the kind of man I want my son involved with.' Bullshit! 
You should have just told me in the first fucking place that you were
slumming; we could have had a few kicks and been done."

   "Joey, I don't care what my Father says.  And if that's how it would
have gone, then I'm glad I didn't tell you before because I wouldn't have
gotten to know you." I couldn't help crossing the room to him.  "Joey,
please let me explain everything.  Just please give me a chance." I held
his face, looked into those eyes and couldn't resist kissing him.

   He tried to pull away, at first.  But after a few seconds, his arms were
around my waist and mine slipped around his neck and if my Father had
walked in and disinherited me on the spot I would not have cared in the
least.  It felt like destiny brought us together.

   It was destined not to last.

   "Joey!" and "Kaiba!" rang out at the same time from two different
voices, breaking the moment for us.

   He grinned at me.  "Maybe we should get a room." Gently, he pulled my
arms from around his neck.

   I turned, a bit sheepishly, to face Bakura only to have my mild
embarrassment whipped away by shame.  Bakura's expression plainly showed
his hurt.

   "Ryou..." I started as he took a step back.

   "Mutou-san is on the network now, Sir.  If you don't - won't - need me,
I'll retire for the night." He was out of the room before I could think to
react and I heard the front door close a moment later.

   "Replaced me that fast, did you?" Joey sneered.

   I looked him in the eyes.  "You are not replaceable." I stated flatly.
"Excuse me." I followed Bakura, presuming that he'd gone to his suite.

   As I anticipated, his door was unlocked.  I heard the sound of something
breaking and followed it to the kitchen.  There was a bloody broken glass
on the floor.  Bakura was standing at the sink wrapping his hand with a
paper towel.

   "Ryou -"

   "Don't." He snapped.  "I'm fine."

   "I'm sorry."

   "Don't be.  You never lied.  I knew.  I didn't know it was him, but I
knew it was someone."

   "You knew?"

   He laughed ironically.  "You flat refused me, shoved me out of the bed.
Then you come home, looking like hell and suddenly the 'no fraternization'
policy goes out the window?  Come on!  How naïve do you think I am?" He
finished wrapping his hand and sighed.  "No, you're the naïve one.  I keep
forgetting how sheltered you are.  You've never dated, have you?"

   "Neither of you was my first, if that's what you're implying."

   "I don't mean sex, Seto." It was the first time outside of my bed that
he called me by my given name, but under the circumstances, it seemed
appropriate.  "I mean relationships.  Falling in love.  Complications.  I
knew there was someone else and I let myself fall anyway and you had no
clue what was going on around you.  Did you?"

   It was more of an accusation than a question.  And he was right; I
didn't even consider what anyone else felt.

   He must have read my answer on my face.  "You are just the boy my mother
warned me about.  She always said I'd get my heart broken by a pretty face
and there you are."

   "I'm sorry.  I never meant to hurt you."

   "You didn't.  I was the fool.  I knew second was the best I was going to
get and I did it anyway.  Like the old song." He sang softly in English,
"I'd rather be a fool with a broken heart than someone who never had a part
of you."

   My phone rang but I ignored it.  "Ryou, please -"

   "Are they still here?" He asked me suddenly.

   "They can wait.  This is more important."

   He shook his head.  "Idiot."

   He walked past me, out of his condo.  I followed him back into mine
where Mazaki and Honda had joined Joey and Mutou.

   Bakura walked over to Joey.  "He fucked me because he couldn't have you.
I'll get over it.  Will you?"

   "Look, I don't even care."

   "That's a shame then because he loves you."

   "Yeah, well, he's with you now."

   "I'm not his lover, I'm his Geisha." Bakura stated, shocking me and
everyone else in the room.  "I'm his employee.  This will just be a change
of responsibilities." He turned to me.  "Will that be all, Kaiba-san?"

   I was too stunned to think.  Was that his opinion of his job or did my
Father actually tell him that when he was hired?  "Bakura...."

   "Very well.  Good night." He left and this time I didn't have the
strength to follow him.

   "I don't think we're going to get any studying done tonight." Mutou
said, looking at the door.

   I had the limo take Mutou home, promising that we'd have our group
meeting the next night.  The rest of us sat in the living room and talked
about the few weeks we were apart.  It seemed like a lifetime.

   After a few hours, Mazaki yawned.  "It's late gentlemen, and my boss is
an ogre.  He'll fire me if I oversleep."

   I laughed softly.  I was half asleep myself by then.  "I would never
fire you, Anzu.  KaibaGames would fold without you."

   "You say the sweetest things when you're not likely to remember them."
She smiled sleepily.

   I found my phone and scrolled through the address book until I reached
the personnel manager's home number.

   It rang several times before a drowsy voice answered.  "Hello?"

   "This is Kaiba Seto.  I need to make a change to Mazaki Anzu's personnel
file, effective immediately."

   "Oh.  Hold on.  Let me get a pen." The phone was put down and I heard a
great amount of rustling.  "OK.  Mazaki.  This is effective tomorrow."

   Tomorrow would be close enough.  "She can not be fired."

   "What?"

   "She can resign but she can't be fired."

   "I'm sorry sir, but even for you, I can't do that.  I'm not sure it's
even legal.  I'd have to give that clause to every employee we have."

   I thought about the clause for a moment before coming up with a more
reasonable solution.  "Ok, fine.  Kaiba Mokuba has to sign off on her
termination.  Can you do that?"

   "Yes, I think so.  I'll have to verify it when I get to the office, but
that should be possible."

   "Good!  Thank you." I hung up.

   "What was that?" Joey laughed.

   "I just set it so that only my brother can fire Anzu." I smiled at her.
"So even if I get in one of my moods, I can't fire you."

   She stood up, crossed the room and kissed my cheek.  "I don't care what
anyone says.  You are very sweet, Seto." She yawned and glanced at her
watch.  "You have to be up for school in four hours."

   "Oh here," Honda scrambled to his feet.  "I'll, uh, walk you home."

   "I live next door."

   "Oh." He looked unsure as to what to do next.

   She smiled and shook her head, took his hand and they both left.

   Joey looked at me, his head in my lap.  "So are you ready for bed?"

   Not sleep, I noticed.  "Joey.  I want you to understand.  What happened
with Bakura -"

   "I don't care."

   "I just wanted you to know -"

   "Tak," he pulled me down and kissed me firmly, "I don't care.  I really
don't.  Besides, he's wicked hot.  I'd fuck him." I blushed.  He got up and
offered me his hand.

   I took it and led him to my room.  We took turns fucking each other
until we both fell asleep.  I awoke to Joey slowly entering me again and my
phone ringing.

   "Hello?" I managed to groan.

   "Tell him to hurry up and finish." Bakura said, sounding a bit amused.
"It's 6am already."